Day 20: Favorite food and why
[Sandcastles, a daily writing exercise]
"Fried fish and chips served by S. Gamgee. You couldn't say no to that."
~ Samwise Gamgee, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Favourite food? You know, I could ask for more specifics, but I think this is a question that, generally speaking, doesn't change its answer very much in different circumstances. I would eat any of the items listed below, even if I were in the middle of constructing a new addition to a sandcastle. Heck, I'd build an oven into the sandcastle so I could make some of these dishes and share when guests are over! When asked this question though, I've always answered the same way -- although I've always given more than one answer. Nonetheless, let's see if I can reduce my regular selection to a single favourite. Hot dogs The go-to, quick & easy meal. Minute and a half nuked with some condiments and it's a great late night snack. It's very flexible for experimenting with different flavours and toppings - and as a bachelor, there's no one around to judge or make comments! The best hotdogs come with a melted dressing of cheese. Whether sauce, melted real cheese, or yes, even cheese slices. It's all flavour! Pizza I don't think there's any doubt this would be on a list such as this. I try not to indulge in pizza too much, but oh man is it ever good. As a big fan of cheese (as this list quite demonstrates), a good fresh and cheesy pizza is a sure thing. It's not often I won't enjoy pizza from any place, but I do have favourites. I frequent a Pizza Pizza joint downtown quite often, especially if I'm coming home from work very late - close to 1am. If I'm hankering for some sustenance, that's about the only place still open and offering fresh food - and then I walk it off as I head home after. It's beautifully convenient. However there are times when I do go for cheaper pizza. And as lesser quality as "Two-for-one" style pizza places are, I actually often prefer their pizza over some of the other larger franchises others favour. Their dip is different, and so the experience of the 2/1 pizza deal is fairly different from Pizza Pizza's. But there's a time and place for everything. And, I don't know whether to be proud or afraid that I can eat a large pizza in one sitting and not feel full. Lasagna Me and Garfield, we share one mind. We're buds. If I could, I would totally sit down with him and share a lasagna. That's one cool cat that really appreciates flat layered cheesy pasta goodness. Thinking about so many organized ingredients tickles my OCD fancy. A good lasagna is laid out nicely and evenly; it's got layers, and when you cut into it, you know you're going to get a piece that's of the same composition in every bite. I often buy a full 2.1kg lasagna from the grocery store when it's on sale for $8, and once cooked at work it's good for 3 or 4 average meals. It's usually gone in two, though. Hey, if I have to sit and work right beside the office kitchen and deal with everyone else's cooking, I think I'm justified in stinking up the office with the amazing aroma of freshly baked meat, tomatoe sauce, spice, and of course cheeeeeese. Garlic Bread If there's any food that smells the most though, it's the garlic bread. This is a side dish that goes with anything. At least, I will gladly take it with anything. I even have it as a meal occasionally. There's something about that moist garlicy butter spread; and it must have melted cheese to complete the experience. It could also come in the form of bruschetta. Swiss Chalet serves an exquisite garlic home loaf, with a bruschetta mix over a hot baked bun with melted cheese and drenched in a garlic sauce garnish. My mouth is watering. The only thing place that one-ups that is Jack Astor's and their cheesy garlic pan bread. Infamous for its soppingly, soaking delivery - a four lump bun sitting in a pan, with the bottom covered in garlicy grease and flavouring, simmering in wondrous taste. The bun lifts the sauce into itself, permeating the bread, which pulls apart with gentle simplicity. Easy to share, or easy to horde for yourself. Nothing beats Jack Astor's cheesy garlic pan bread. Caesar Salad Healthy for a change! This is probably the easiest salad ever to make, and the minimum ingredients are already done and ready to go for the most simple, and yet flavour-filled salad, for the amount of work required. Washed Lettuce? Check. Caesar dressing? Check. 1. Tear it up. 2. Pour it in. 3. Mix. 4. Enjoy! Seriously, to counter-balance all the above foods, a caesar salad, like garlic bread, is so very versatile as a side dish or main meal. Play with it, try different ingredients and dashes of flavour. Bacon or chicken bits, a pinch of garlic, cheeeeese, spices, pepper, lemon squirts, different types of lettuce, cheeeeese, a mix of other veggies can also give the salad a bit of variety, oh and you can't forget the cheeeeese. Quick and easy, simple and potentially very healthy! And I do prefer the caesar over the garden. Sub sandwich Ok, this one is a very vague, ambiguous classification. I mean, it's really just a "sandwich", but with style. So when I say a sub sandwich, in my mind I'm thinking a sub sandwich restaurant. Specifically, Subway. I've tried other sub shacks, but I'm very serious when I say nothing else lives up to the Subway. Sub creation is an art form. And if you're employed at a sub shop, you really need to take that responsibility seriously! Like lasagna, there's a layered composition to a sub which is most optimal in order to have each bite equally flavourful for the taste you chose. I don't want lumps of different flavours where one ingredient overwhelms another in one bite, then it reverses in the next. But this is the main reason I prefer subs over pitas. Pitas are enormous and quite stuffed - but you can't take a bite and get everything without the pita squeezing so much that it rips and spews its contents everywhere (or drips through your fingers). No, I appreciate a well composed Subway sandwich. Perfect size for your hands and mouth. And Subway provides a great assortment of toppings. I do realize they don't have every topping, as some sub stores have additional toppings Subway doesn't. But I have noticed that Subway as a franchise allows some stores to try different toppings occasionally. The latest regular addition to the franchise selection was spinach, and I now include that regularly. The sub is utilitarian. It's cheap, you can fill it to your heart's content, and it's mobile - you can eat it on the go or open it up and partake casually. I often say, it's the best deal you can get for a relatively healthy meal. Most subs now are as low as $6 for a foot long, but filled with toppings that's a good 2 meals right there. My typical sub: Ham or cold-cut trio, on parmesan-oregano or wheat bread, swiss or cheddar cheeeeese, maybe toasted, with everything but olives and hot peppers. That is the premium meal selection, especially for work. What then could I consider my favourite food? It's so hard to choose! However, I just realized a point that should make things easier. All the things listed above would be a selection of my favourite meals or snacks. So what is my favourite food? I think that answer is self-evident: CHEEEEESE And only because I do also quite often eat it on its own. (but I'm no cheese connoisseur) Now to zap up a hotdog for tonight's snack.
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